The Pond Digger Grow Out Stats

[The Pond Digger]

Oh yeah Cetus, not Cedus! FUNNY! That shows you just how bad their logo and marketing is! I know, I know marketing is really a four letter word around here. I'll watch my step. I'm gonna have to talk to BIll over at MYSTIC KOI about this!

Or it truly shows just how late I stay up. Not to mention, I was loosing my mind in the learning curve of photoshop! Until my eyes go sideways!

Thanks Mark for setting me straight. Bill's gonna' wanna' smack me!


The Pond Digger

[The Pond Digger]

We installed a Wave U.V. on the TPR line. You hear so many different suggestions, and rules of thumb, but if my memory serves me, on the positively.....a koi pond thread someone suggested ten watts of U.V. per thousand gallons.

So at 25 watts assuming that is a good rule of thumb, I am a little shy at 3000 gallons of pond water. The question is........... Since, I will be running the TPR line at approximately 800 gph through the U.V., will the U.V. be more effective at that lower flow rate? We will be cycling the entire volume of pond water through the U.V. six and a half times each day.

I am dumping the water that passes through the U.V. into the bead filter so fines created from the U.V. will be captured before entering the pond.

[mitten]

Jeez Eric, you should have gotten the special edition sieve that is part of the Duke's of Hazzard pond equipment series...the Cletus.

[MysticKoi]

Cedus, Cletus... come on guys, you know I'm very sensative about this!

Erik... I'm not familiar with the Wave UV, but that sure does look like a 40 watt unit (long housing)???

Kind Regards,
The other Bill D.

[The Pond Digger]

Well I'll be! There I go again pushing past the minimum Koi pond requirements! Bill is absolutely correct, as usual! I decided bigger was better. This has been a work in progress and now I remember the decision to go 40 watts instead of 25.

I will edit the photograph...........

BTW, we finished installing the skimmer circuit today and will finish up the Aerated Back Flushable Waterfall Filter installation tomorrow. Crossing fingers I'll have my Shiros by the weekend!

I can see the eyes rolling now () because I'll be cycling this feature with my Shiros but I'm a huge proponent of Bottled Bugs, especially under these conditions!

Besides, 3000 gallons of pond water for 3 to 5 tosai in the dead of winter, little to no food, regular testing and frequent water changes we should be GOLDEN. On the other hand, I have several, not so traditional, ponds to fall back on if needed! JUST KIDDING.....

I'm gonna follow (most) everyone's strict rules around here and am sure to be a better man because of it!

More pictures to follow soon, stay tuned.

The Pond Digger

P.S. I love Cletus!

[RookieKoiGuy]

Originally Posted by The Pond Digger

Well I'll be! There I go again pushing past the minimum Koi pond requirements! Bill is absolutely correct, as usual! I decided bigger was better. This has been a work in progress and now I remember the decision to go 40 watts instead of 25.

I will edit the photograph...........

BTW, we finished installing the skimmer circuit today and will finish up the Aerated Back Flushable Waterfall Filter installation tomorrow. Crossing fingers I'll have my Shiros by the weekend!

I can see the eyes rolling now () because I'll be cycling this feature with my Shiros but I'm a huge proponent of Bottled Bugs, especially under these conditions!

Besides, 3000 gallons of pond water for 3 to 5 tosai in the dead of winter, little to no food, regular testing and frequent water changes we should be GOLDEN. On the other hand, I have several, not so traditional, ponds to fall back on if needed! JUST KIDDING.....

I'm gonna follow (most) everyone's strict rules around here and am sure to be a better man because of it!

More pictures to follow soon, stay tuned.

The Pond Digger

P.S. I love Cletus!

Eric looks like your coming over from the DARKSIDE
Welcome aboard

40 watt much better..........

RookieKoiGuy Grow out Form

[KDSD]

a huge proponent of Bottled Bugs,

You don't mean some dryed powder bacteria do ya? I find most all that is snake oil, yet to find a "bacteria in a bottle" as claimed. I have used ammonia to start the cycle of a pond, then adding some bio juice from a established pond. Works everytime my man Just a carry over of my reef days. I never forgot what Norm Meck told me about 15 yrs ago "Hell just throw a shovel of dirt in filter there's more good bacteria in that then a 20 buck bottle of snake oil"

This time of year and water temp with 3- 6-8" Koi shouldn't be a problem; light load, filter,pond and Koi can come online togather as it warms up.But do keep an eye it and test.


But on the serious side; and I think 99% will agree we don't use any products. Once your pond has cycled in you will not need any of that dry bacteria or wet bacteria as a on going "treatment plan"etc.Even when it cycles I/we don't use any form of "bottled bugs". Just isn't a need to...........I have found that most "New" ponds will take a 1-2 full seasonal changes to be fully balanced......................funny how a little nature and a little TLC and time; which none of those cost anything .........can do

_________________________

Koiman™
CDKPA

[The Pond Digger]

I have a great Liquid Bacteria that I am very fond of. Call it a snake oil, a placebo, or whatever you wish. I have no doubt we have controlled some ammonia spikes with the product in the past. I will use it regularly on this Koi Pond especially during this start up process.

BTW Mark, weren't you a distributor for Aqua One Liquid bacteria not too terribly long ago?

Respectfully,

The Pond Digger

Originally Posted by KDSD

You don't mean some dryed powder bacteria do ya? I find most all that is snake oil, yet to find a "bacteria in a bottle" as claimed. I have used ammonia to start the cycle of a pond, then adding some bio juice from a established pond. Works everytime my man Just a carry over of my reef days. I never forgot what Norm Meck told me about 15 yrs ago "Hell just throw a shovel of dirt in filter there's more good bacteria in that then a 20 buck bottle of snake oil"

This time of year and water temp with 3- 6-8" Koi shouldn't be a problem; light load, filter,pond and Koi can come online togather as it warms up.But do keep an eye it and test.


But on the serious side; and I think 99% will agree we don't use any products. Once your pond has cycled in you will not need any of that dry bacteria or wet bacteria as a on going "treatment plan"etc.Even when it cycles I/we don't use any form of "bottled bugs". Just isn't a need to...........I have found that most "New" ponds will take a 1-2 full seasonal changes to be fully balanced......................funny how a little nature and a little TLC and time; which none of those cost anything .........can do

_________________________

Koiman™
CDKPA

[The Pond Digger]

Here are a few pictures of the installation of the our skimmer. It is a Danner Mfg. ProLine Skimmer. We drilled for a custom 3" bulkhead, that I snatched from Kent Wallace, at the lowest possible point in the back of the skimmer.

The skimmer is gravity flowing into the W. Lim Wave 24 with and Accelerator Static Pre-Filter . The skimmer is large and the opening of the skimmer is HUGE (8")! So, I talked Kent Wallace into letting me try out his nifty little skimmer fish guards! The leaf basket is enormous.

The Pond Digger

[The Pond Digger]

Here are some pictures of the FLOWRANGER Back flushable waterfall filter. This waterfall filter is equipped with the "AIRBOIL" backflush air assistance for cleaning.

On this pond's set-up since I have the Cetus Sieve on the bottom drain circuit and the Wave 24 with the Accelerator Static Pre-Filter, I am going to aerate this filter to maximize my bio-load. AND of course when I clean the waterfall filter, I can turn off the air to the bottom drain and CRANK up the air full tilt to the Flow Ranger filter to maximize the cleaning process.

If you'll notice the harness on the top of the filter & the three-way valve, you can see that I have the ability to reverse the water flow from the bottom of the filter to flush in from the top of the filter and of course open a drain at the bottom of the filter to clean and flush out any solids that may accumulate. The drain runs into the blue 55 gallon drum, you may have noticed in the photos earlier on in this tread, that is then pumped out to our orange grove.

This filter has two 36" Matala Rounds which is rated for approximately 1600 gallons of water if my math serves me. I will modify the "AIRBOIL" manifold so that I can fit another Matala Round in the filter moving my biological ability to 2400 gallons. Now this koi pond is 3000 gallons but let me remind you the filter is aerated which will increase the filters ability to carry out the nitrogen cycle and I have the Accelerator Static Pre-Filter which will give me some Biological activity in the three bags of Bacti-twist that comes with it, along with the bead filter that is in the T.P.R. line. I should be covered................

The Pond Digger